James Creek, moved by flood, poses engineering challenge

Numerous county waterways mapped a new course during deluge

A rescue helicopter flies over Jamestown, following the September flood, which caused widespread damage in the town.
(
MARK LEFFINGWELL
)

JAMESTOWN -- In Jamestown on Wednesday a string of tree branches, planks and other flood debris, spray painted neon orange at both ends, had been laid out along the south side of James Canyon Drive, marking the former path of James Creek.

When September's historic flood washed through the small, western Boulder County town, destroying houses and taking the life of beloved resident Joey Howlett, it also rerouted the creek, creating a new channel about 15 feet south of the old one.

It's one of a number of county waterways that were redirected by the flood and will likely need an engineered correction, sooner or later.

The new Jamestown channel bisects some private lots, and has created questions about whether the stream should be rerouted, how rebuilding should occur around it and what work needs to be done on the creek now, to ensure safety when spring runoff comes.

"There is still more analysis that needs to be done, and will be done by engineers that study hydrology and hydraulics, to determine options for the stream location," Jamestown Mayor Tara Schoedinger said.

Schoedinger on Wednesday met with engineers from the National Resources Conservation Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and town-contracted engineering firm, AMEC, as well as a few residents to survey the creek's path and discuss routing options.

In the short term, Schoedinger said, Jamestown is working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service on an emergency watershed protection program for James Creek. The program, administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, helps communities like Jamestown repair creek obstructions and other issues that potentially pose a threat to lives or property, according to NCRS.

The program, funded through Congress, may provide up to 75 percent of the funding for emergency work, with the remaining share expected to come from the project host, which in this case could include the town.

"That (program) is initially taking a look at all of the properties that were not destroyed in the flood and looking at what protective measures we need to put in place before the spring runoff," Schoedinger said. "Ultimately, if the stream is located on private property, it is my understanding that the private property owner gets to weigh in on those decisions."

That process is still in the assessment phase, Schoedinger said, and a potential cost has not been determined.

In the long term, AMEC is working to produce a stream corridor master plan for James Creek. That plan, expected to be completed Jan. 23, will outline a new 100-year floodplain, and be used to establish technical specifications for future construction, Schoedinger said.

The mayor said the state has assembled a team of land use planners and attorneys to aid in the process. She emphasized that Jamestown will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, NCRS, and all state agencies to ensure the plan is in alignment with their goals.

The end result of will be the issuance of a "conditional letter of map revision," Schoedinger said, informing FEMA of the position of the new floodplain.

"Our floodplain was blown away with all the devastation that occurred. What we need to do is come up with technical specifications to reestablish it," Schoedinger said. "Then what we'll do is people will rebuild -- and that might take some time -- but once the rebuilding process is complete things will be rebuilt to these specifications."

"It is good to see Jamestown taking charge of its recovery efforts and working with the state of Colorado to make progress," FEMA spokesman John Mills said of process now underway on James Creek. "FEMA is working closely with all parties involved to help find the best solutions."

Tim Gouger is the deployed infrastructure field coordinator for the Army Corps of Engineers dealing with needs created by the September flood. While the corps is focused on areas of greatest need -- specifically Lyons and Longmont -- he said engineers have been assessing James Creek and offering guidance to Jamestown. It is still early in the process, Gouger said, but he emphasized that property rights will be a chief concern of the corps when determining where work may need to be done on James Creek.

"There are lots of people who own that property and the corps has zero authority to sprinkle pixie dust over property owner rights and just bring in the cavalry and fix the stream," he said.

Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle said every drainage in the county is facing issues similar to those playing out on James Creek, and the question of where funding will come from for the work ahead looms large.

"We'll be looking for every possible source of money because no one is responsible for everything," Gerstle said.

When it comes to James Creek, Gerstle said, decision-makers need to consider the safety, needs, and water rights of downstream users, including ditch owners. Gerstle said the county is designing a permanent road up James Canyon that will be constructed this winter and spring to replace the one washed out in the flood, adding additional pressure to have plans for James Creek squared away so they will not impact road construction.

"We'll be working with all the residents and property owners and communities in the immediate area and making sure what we do in one area makes sense for the whole creek," he said. "It's a major undertaking, but it needs to happen and it needs to happen quickly, and it needs to be done right for the short and long term."

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